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Friday, February 09, 2007

Media ignores Arab racism in Jerusalem

Why are the Arabs rioting against the Israel's shoring up the ramp to the Mughrabi gate?

From reading the wire service articles, one would conclude that the Arabs are worried about damage to the foundations of the Al-Aqsa mosque:

Israeli excavations near Jerusalem's most sensitive shrine have sparked fury among Muslims who fear such works endanger its foundations, but officials involved say they will not damage the holy site.

Yet the Arabs have been quite forthcoming about why they are upset, and worries about the foundations are clearly not what is uppermost in their minds. Look at the letter from the PA to the UN condemning the repair work:

Excellency,

In follow-up to our letter dated 24 January 2007, Israel, the occupying Power, has stepped up its illegal actions, especially in Occupied East Jerusalem, which aim to intensify expansionist policy for the colonization and Judaization of Arab Jerusalem, with the support of fanatic Jewish settler groups.

Israel, the occupying Power, is continuing its campaign to Judaize the city of Jerusalem and create a new demographic composition in the occupied city. Such actions demonstrate clearly the intransigence of the Israeli Government and its persistence in defying the will of the international community and in violating international law and United Nations resolutions. In this context, it is imperative for the international community to take measures in order to confront these Israeli policies and actions, to ensure respect for international law and to prevent further escalation of the situation in the region.

In line with this unchecked intransigence, Israeli occupying authorities have gone ahead with the condemnable plan to step up its aggression against Islamic Waqf sites in Occupied East Jerusalem. Most notably, Israeli occupying authorities have begun demolishing a historic road connecting Bab Al-Maghariba with the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in addition to two rooms adjacent to the Western Wall, thus exposing the Holy Compound and making it more vulnerable yet to future acts of aggression.Additionally, Israeli occupying authorities continue to carry out excavation works below the Holy Al-Aqsa Compound, undermining its foundations and threatening with its collapse.

There are also concerning reports that Israel, the occupying Power, plans to construct a tourist site below the Holy Al-Aqsa Compound, further raising fears about serious threats facing the Holy Compound. Additionally, Israeli occupying authorities have banned Palestinians below the age of 45 from entering the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in grave contravention of their basic right to access their holy sites and clear violation of Israel's obligations, as an occupying Power, to ensure and protect that right.

Even this letter does not say that the ramp work is excavating below the compound, but it says that there are other digs doing that (without specifying any details.)

Any look at the Arab press shows that "Judaization" is the real concern, not any pretense of worry about Al-Aqsa's integrity:

The statement also reaffirmed that the Islamic and western world will not simply watch what is happening to Jerusalem taking no action against the Israeli continual excavation, which aims to change the characteristic of Jerusalem and Judaization it as well as to obliterate its Arab, Islamic and Christianity landmark. (Petra - Jordan)

The Israeli government is continuing a large-scale demolition project of ancient Islam in East Jerusalem's Old City. Al Aqsa Mosque is under grave danger of destruction in the face of Israeli Judaization of Jerusalem. (Palestine News Network)

KUWAIT, Feb 7 (KUNA) -- Acting Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Mohammad Al-Busiry asserted Wednesday the necessity of Islamic unity to face the Israeli hostile designs against the holy Aqsa mosque and other Islamic sanctities in the occupied Palestine.

"Concerted efforts must be made to put an end to the Jewish designs targeting judaization of Jerusalem and the removal of Islamic landmarks there, " Al-Busiry told reporters here.

Now, why would the media downplay the real reason that Arabs are upset?

Could it be that doing that would portray Arabs are being bigoted and intolerant, and that this dosn't fit the playbook that the MSM wants us to believe about them?

It is much easier to say that the Arabs are trying to defend their holy site than to say that they do not want any vestiges of Jewishness to remain in the entire city.

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